Hedges to marvel at: get the street in shape

Tim Bushe, an architect with a flair for topiary, explains the motivation
behind his fun, eye-catching hedges.

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Cutting-edge art: Tim Bushe’s first sculpture was the steam engine, which he started on because he didn’t have time for the cat his wife wanted. That – and the elephants – came as he grew in confidence
Photo: MARTIN POPE

Hedges are the most common garden boundary, but unlike their inorganic equivalent, the ubiquitous close-board fence, hedges in the main get better as they age. Forming wind-filtering green walls, they are often heaving with wildlife and providing shelter for all, including the gardener. They occasionally do a lot more too.

Tim Bushe, an architect, started cutting hedges seriously about four years ago. He picked up his hedge cutter (an electric 42in Black & Decker) and his wife, Philippa, asked him to cut the hedge outside their terrace house in Highbury, north London, into the shape of a cat. He replied that he didn’t have time, but ended up doing a steam engine instead.

That was four years ago. The hedge, a privet, was not perfect after the first cut, there was just the beginnings of a train funnel. The isolated parts that are proud of the main structure take longer to form. But as gardeners know, the harder you cut an area the harder it grows back. Since then, Tim has cut many things, all of which would stop you in your tracks. Elephants, cats, serpents, they are like superb pieces of installation art, adding a new dynamic to the street scene and, of course, the garden.

Tim is well qualified to do this. He is a keen tennis player so has the upper body strength necessary to work dexterously in elevated positions for several hours at a time. He did hire a heavier-duty, petrol hedge cutter once, but found the experience rather too onerous.

Before he started work as an architect, he studied art and sculpture, both of which have influenced his hedge work. Why Tim does this is interesting too. Apart from the sheer satisfaction of creating an iconic piece that immediately starts drawing crowds, all the money raised by “Bushe’s bushes” goes to a charity. His younger sister, Martha, was born with Down’s syndrome and she is cared for by Hft (formerly the Home Farm Trust), a charity that gives local support to people with learning difficulties. Tim suggests donations of £250 for the design and first cut and around £75 for each of the subsequent cuts. He reckons it takes about three to four cuts to achieve the (final) desired shape.

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The other reason he enjoys clipping these sculptural hedges is that they form new links in the community. When he started pruning the cat shape in his garden he felt he was being watched. A cat-loving sculptor who lived four doors away was, he says, “quietly applauding” his endeavours. Despite having been close neighbours for 18 years they had never made contact before.

When a local landmark, especially one that people can relate to, is created, passers-by – even in cars – stop and watch, start conversations and interact. A hedge sculpture can highlight a street, forming a marker that makes people stop, smile and socialise.

A friend of Tim’s, Naomi Schillinger, whose job involves encouraging gardeners to grow vegetables in their front gardens (see outofmyshed.co.uk), is convinced that Tim’s work has positive effects on communities, something she is passionate about. Tim’s “herd of elephants” hedge that popped up near her in Highbury can be seen progressing from scratch on her website.

When people contact Tim to transform their hedge, he is led by what is required, something personal to the client or what they like. An old friend wanted a memento of their favourite basset hound, that would lie down with his legs out at the back.

Surprisingly though, Tim is often the one to come up with the theme, as most people want guidance. Geometric shapes are not on offer. “Too tedious to cut,” he says.

Being a cutting-edge architect (his practice, Walker Bushe, designed the Laboratory Spa and Health Club by Alexandra Palace), he seems slightly shy about his figurative sculptures, in that they do not quite match his reputation as a serious contemporary architect. His ideal would be to experiment with a more modern take on figurative sculpture for his hedges and to add a light-hearted touch.

Repetition is not for him – he always wants to make a different piece each time. He is working on the hedge belonging to the television actress Yasmin Bannerman near Finsbury Park. It is shaping into a Chinese dragon. The (floating) shape was inspired by the hedge being bald underneath, a common problem with more elderly, neglected hedges.

All the hedges tackled so far are privet. They are quick to form, grow fast and can be retuned several times a year, especially with this year’s rainfall. The disadvantage is that so much rain makes Tim’s projects far more demanding.

He would like an apprentice, who could follow on maintaining his creations. Whereas Tim does it for charity and for a reasonable charge, he feels that there is an opportunity for an apprentice to make a living out of topiary as a specialist activity, so long as they have some basic sculptural talent. He would also like to tackle slower-growing species such as yew and box.

There is no doubt Tim has bold ideas, vision and great practical skills enabling him to shape some fabulous pieces. Though given the forgiving nature of most hedging plants, with a bit of practice, someone inexperienced could soon create something satisfyingly show-stopping.

Start with a solitary specimen if you feel overwhelmed by the entire hedge and think of a subject dear to your heart.